A Claw on Life
by St. Sogn
Summary: "One of his brethren must have—he leaped over Spore.  The creature was driving him toward the light world, and this must not happen.    It might mean the end of him."  A slice of life from a Paras' view.


Written this last year when I was bored. Found this again by accident and felt, why not? I publish it for it's sake.

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><p>Safe, warm soil comforted this little insect. The underground world was all he knew. Little of the light he knew, so darkness ruled his body. Once or twice sunlight streaks in from his tunnel ceilings. It warmed his cold body and fungi on his back, revitalizing him, making him think a simple thought: What is the light world like? A few moments later he would forget this thought and go on. Tree roots did not chew themselves.<p>

And so his nights and days were spent with chewing and digging, digging and chewing, with occasional fighting. One night he spent nursing the wounds near the fungi after a fumble with an angry Rattata. He was too close to her nest, but he didn't know that—she must've moved recently. With his claws he scratched a few herbs from a cove he discovered a few weeks ago, very useful for emergencies like now, and used Sleep Powder to combine the mixture. Finished, he consumed it, and then rested near the cove's small spring. Now he had to wait.

He was lucky that the fungi were not harmed. A Paras must always protect his fungi. Although, he did not know why except that his instincts urged him to do so. They're raging now behind his eyes. Slowly, he cleaned his claws to give himself a distraction and while he lay there enjoyed how the walls sparkled in the cove. It was a pretty green reflecting everywhere, on himself, on his claws—felt much like peace. The moment was one of the few he could remember enjoying.

A few weeks later, the memory was still kept fresh in his mind fearing he would lose it as he worked on his route. His mind could only remember so much before memory becomes overwritten. However, the desire to keep one of the few treasures he possessed alive almost cost him his life. He had just extracted a juicy root when he was forced to dodge a blow.

This Paras hissed. Another claw screamed, this time from the side, and he barely dodged unscathed. His foe was much bigger than he. It towered over him, clicked at him, its own pincers menacing and terrifying. It, too, has fungus; however, unlike him, its mushroom occupied the whole body. Its eyes were pure white, hard to tell what emotion beheld them, but there was no mistaking the creature wanted to draw blood. It swiped again. This time success.

He whirled from the blow—the claw caught him on his side. Too close, too close! Turned, he fled. It followed after him. These tunnels had not held an insect like this thing for such a long time, only Paras such as himself, Zubat, Geodude, a few Rattata, and glimpses of Clefairy. One of his brethrens must have—he leaped over Spore. The creature was driving him toward the light world, and this must not happen.

It might mean the end of him.

He stood his stand, hissed his warning, as well as asked what it wants. The answer was another strike. It was beyond communication, and now it was beyond Paras to not take flight into the light. Quickly, he sped to the top where green grows. The pursuer stopped at the mouth of the tunnel. Pincers raised, it searched the surroundings. The Paras stayed quiet and hidden in the junction of the branches. Waited patiently, his patience was awarded when the Parasect returned. Slow Paras climbed down, had yet to reveal himself. No sound echoed from the cave. Were moments that passed, minutes, or hours, he did not know. Nothing still moved inside the cave.

Dimly, he realized that this is the light world. And nothing happened, at least other than what chased him here. He sensed no danger, no movement. Bright were the rays that shined upon him, they blind him 'till he averted his eyes. Behind him was the green hiding place, and was very beautiful to him. Everywhere green, the floor beneath him and the tops of these pillars line with green. His memory of the green light was rewritten with this experience.

He still doesn't sense anything within his home's depths. He doesn't want to let himself be prey and this light piques his little mind. Away he wandered from the mouth. He took caution around him, pausing at a slight rustle. He comes upon a wide space of land where the tall pillars no longer shelter him. The ground was bare without sides or cover. Nothing was over his head if he stepped out. His legs trembled, body trembled, and even his fungi. Never had a concept of no protection over his head occurred to him before. He feared this open space more than of his cousin. This Paras followed the pillar trail around the nothingness.

Shrieks pierced the air. Paras leaped onto the top of the pillars and stayed hidden in the green, clicked his claws, and watched. A small creature was battling with a slightly larger creature out there in the nothingness. The larger creature was muddy brown and flapped small arms while scratching with claws on its feet at the green smaller creature. The green small creature reminded him of himself as a sort of brethren and it was struggling. From his vantage point, he could barely see with the dust lifting around the two figures. Their bodies were slowing down as well as the dust. The shrieking and coos siren in the air came to a halt, the shrieking first, then the coos. He could only see one creature. Soon a new sound drifted in the air. Tapping, followed by ripping. Paras moved on.

Time passed, he sensed, and the blue sky turned a soft orange, but he doesn't know what this change mean. The air did grew chillier similar to his earth. Soon a large water source entered his sight. Parched, he stepped lightly near the edge next to a large bolder hovering a bit over the water. No one was in sight, no one in hearing, neither in smell nor felt. Paras was tired and a sense of loneliness came upon him. There were no companions during his life. Brief encounters made up his company, with a few occasional brawls, but it was home. It was what he knew, took comfort in. Now an exile from his home, and curiosity leading him away, he was alone on a strange land, lost.

The dark space above comforted him. Settled on the soft moss next to the bolder, he silently thought while viewing above. The dark was splattered with dots. Paras was hit by a memory of the cove when sometimes light peek from the top. The loneliness increased heavier in his body. As to shrug it away, he snuggled deeper, then slept deep.

He awoke to light and noise. The sky had light shining in his eyes, but the noise was above him. Instincts overworked. They forced him to action, trying to detect the noise. It was a harsh sound along with a flapping sound. Paras skittered quick—he'd recognized that sound, it was similar to what that brown creature was making yesterday, only bigger. He didn't want to be still, still like the green brethren. The sounds were growing louder, as well as the harsh sounds. He side-jumped, and saw what was the culprit.

It was a monster. Huge arms spread staying aloft, a long neck, and Paras glimpsed a mouth long enough to spear him if hadn't dodge. It turned a pillar, and screamed the harsh noise again. He couldn't panic, he couldn't panic, he couldn't panic—a hole. He leapt in. Nasty claws dug into the earth before they disappeared. There he stayed and the entrance now had a monster landed in front. Behind him was very little room. The scary mouth jerked into the hole, forcing him to parry it. Its monster noise made the earth quake around him as it made the attack. He rapidly clicked. The creature's answer was a snap of the mouth that almost caught his fungi.

Paras trembling grew with each strike of his claw. This monster's mouth couldn't be battled for long. He grew tired, grew more frightened. Inside him, he sensed the end near. Also just as close a resignation settled as well. He lowered his claw for the final time. The mouth was craned away and for one moment, he saw the face to the end. A hungry look was what he would have remembered.

That was it were to be, if not a second monster hadn't attacked the first.

He witnessed a mess of two bodies clashing. This second monster was the strangest yet he'd seen. It was dark in color, looked shapeless. No feet could be seen; it seemed as it glides and oozes across the green floor. This thing smelt very bad as well. Paras's was almost overcome by the heavy odor and fear. His pursuer was having trouble combating the thing. The shapeless thing was not affected by the flapping wings or the feet. Even the long mouth had not effect. The first monster was losing. His chance to escape was now, and so he sped away, not looked back.

Light was high above in the blue when he collapsed beneath a rather large pillar. He was tired. He was scared. Was sick for home. Was hungry. Lonely. His cave was not so terrifying. He wished for him to be back to his earth and that he'd never came out here. The weight came back again, and he did not want to move. To move meant to see, and therefore it leads to fright. Everything he had seen wanted to make him still. To rip into his small body and fungi. This adventure had almost taxed his mind completely. Too much it was to process all that had happened to him.

"Hello there."

Jumped to the top he did. As he watched below him, he thought, no more. No more monsters. This thing was big as well; although, smaller than the long mouth monster. Hairless, scaleless, Paras thought it was nude but the fur at the top of the head. Something draped of the body, he did not know what to think of. On the feet was something similar. This pink, nude thing also had big, big fangs. It kept flashing white fangs at him while making disturbing sounds.

"Come down. I won't hurt you, I promised." It clicked at him, which made him hissed and quivered. The creature let loose big air and more strange sounds. "Have it your way."

He had no idea what it was doing. It threw a red and white rock, and it popped open with a snap, and out came a creature. He was on guard; this time this nude creature came with friends and it was a Parasect no less. Once again he might have to brawl with a cousin. It is possibly even bigger than the one he was driven exile by.

"Now, use Stun Spore."

Bursts of spores streamed at Paras, and it was a direct hit. He felled belly-side up, paralyzed. A rock was thrown, hit him, and the next thing he knew he was viewing nothing. He was condensed and alone. There was a red and white barrier between him and the green. The view changed and now he was faced to face with the strange creature. Again, she bared those fangs at him again.

"Grandma would be happy. This one could help with the potion."

It placed him on its side and he rocked as it walked. From the corner of Paras's sight, he was dimly aware the other cousin disappeared. Whatever fate awaited him, he wished it would be quick and swift. With his shaking quelling from the swaying, he closed his eyes.


End file.
